1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection structure of a linear motor type transport device, which connects a plurality of linear motor type transport devices, with end faces thereof abutting against each other.
2. Description of the Background Art
In the related art, in a long transport apparatus using a linear motor, a plurality of short linear motor type transport devices each including a base part and a rail part are connected to one another with the end faces abutting against each other. In some of such transport apparatuses, members for linearly positioning the linear motor type transport devices are each mounted to the connection part of each linear motor type transport device. Through the members, a plurality of the linear motor type transport devices are connected (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. S63-75202).
In the linear motor type transport device (traveling rail for transport device), a traveling rail is disposed along a rail fixing piece provided on the support surface of the rail pedestal. The traveling rail is fixed to the rail fixing piece by bolts. The end faces of the traveling rails to be connected are each formed in an obliquely inclined surface. When both the end faces to be connected are brought in contact with each other, the two traveling rails become linear. Further, in the side surfaces of the rail pedestals, there are disposed dovetail grooves respectively extending in the longitudinal direction. A connection key is inserted into the dovetail grooves in such a manner as to be laid across the dovetail grooves of the two rail pedestals. Thus, the connection key is fixed to the rail pedestals by bolts. As a result, the rail pedestals are connected.
In the related-art linear motor type transport devices, precise linear connections between the base parts and between the traveling rails require all of the dimensional precision between the dovetail grooves and the connection key, the contact precision between the rail fixing pieces and the traveling rails, and the contact precision between the end faces of the traveling rails. However, it is difficult to combine all of these with high precision.